EP2453972B1 - A device for accurate infusion of fluids - Google Patents
A device for accurate infusion of fluids Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- EP2453972B1 EP2453972B1 EP10799522.7A EP10799522A EP2453972B1 EP 2453972 B1 EP2453972 B1 EP 2453972B1 EP 10799522 A EP10799522 A EP 10799522A EP 2453972 B1 EP2453972 B1 EP 2453972B1
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- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- rotating sleeve
- drive
- screw
- casing
- gear
- Prior art date
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Images
Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61M—DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY; DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY; DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR
- A61M5/00—Devices for bringing media into the body in a subcutaneous, intra-vascular or intramuscular way; Accessories therefor, e.g. filling or cleaning devices, arm-rests
- A61M5/14—Infusion devices, e.g. infusing by gravity; Blood infusion; Accessories therefor
- A61M5/142—Pressure infusion, e.g. using pumps
- A61M5/14244—Pressure infusion, e.g. using pumps adapted to be carried by the patient, e.g. portable on the body
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61M—DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY; DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY; DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR
- A61M5/00—Devices for bringing media into the body in a subcutaneous, intra-vascular or intramuscular way; Accessories therefor, e.g. filling or cleaning devices, arm-rests
- A61M5/14—Infusion devices, e.g. infusing by gravity; Blood infusion; Accessories therefor
- A61M5/142—Pressure infusion, e.g. using pumps
- A61M5/14244—Pressure infusion, e.g. using pumps adapted to be carried by the patient, e.g. portable on the body
- A61M5/14248—Pressure infusion, e.g. using pumps adapted to be carried by the patient, e.g. portable on the body of the skin patch type
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61M—DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY; DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY; DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR
- A61M5/00—Devices for bringing media into the body in a subcutaneous, intra-vascular or intramuscular way; Accessories therefor, e.g. filling or cleaning devices, arm-rests
- A61M5/14—Infusion devices, e.g. infusing by gravity; Blood infusion; Accessories therefor
- A61M5/142—Pressure infusion, e.g. using pumps
- A61M5/145—Pressure infusion, e.g. using pumps using pressurised reservoirs, e.g. pressurised by means of pistons
- A61M5/1452—Pressure infusion, e.g. using pumps using pressurised reservoirs, e.g. pressurised by means of pistons pressurised by means of pistons
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61M—DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY; DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY; DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR
- A61M5/00—Devices for bringing media into the body in a subcutaneous, intra-vascular or intramuscular way; Accessories therefor, e.g. filling or cleaning devices, arm-rests
- A61M5/14—Infusion devices, e.g. infusing by gravity; Blood infusion; Accessories therefor
- A61M5/142—Pressure infusion, e.g. using pumps
- A61M5/145—Pressure infusion, e.g. using pumps using pressurised reservoirs, e.g. pressurised by means of pistons
- A61M5/1452—Pressure infusion, e.g. using pumps using pressurised reservoirs, e.g. pressurised by means of pistons pressurised by means of pistons
- A61M2005/14533—Pressure infusion, e.g. using pumps using pressurised reservoirs, e.g. pressurised by means of pistons pressurised by means of pistons cam actuated
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61M—DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY; DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY; DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR
- A61M2205/00—General characteristics of the apparatus
- A61M2205/17—General characteristics of the apparatus with redundant control systems
Definitions
- the present disclosure relates generally to devices for sustained infusion of fluids and/or analyte sensing. More particularly, the disclosure relates to devices that include a skin securable (e.g., adherable) unit comprising a reusable part and a disposable part. Even more particularly, the present disclosure relates to a two-part skin securable unit utilizing a movable piston pumping mechanism that delivers fluid at a high accuracy rate.
- a skin securable (e.g., adherable) unit comprising a reusable part and a disposable part.
- the present disclosure relates to a two-part skin securable unit utilizing a movable piston pumping mechanism that delivers fluid at a high accuracy rate.
- DM Diabetes mellitus
- ambulatory portable insulin infusion pumps have emerged as a superior alternative to multiple daily syringe injections of insulin, initially for Type 1 diabetes patients and consecutively for Type 2 diabetes patients.
- These pumps which deliver insulin at a continuous basal rate as well as in bolus volumes, were developed to liberate patients from repeated self-administered injections, and allow them to maintain a near-normal daily routine. Both basal and bolus volumes must be delivered in precise doses, according to individual prescription, since an overdose or under-dose of insulin could be fatal.
- the first generation of portable insulin pumps refers to a "pager like" device with a reservoir included within a housing and long tubing is required to deliver insulin from the reservoir to the infusion site. Examples of such devices are disclosed in U.S. Patents Nos. 6,248,093 and 7,390,314 . These devices are usually heavy and bulky and the tubing substantially disturbs daily activity.
- the additional concept concerns a remote controlled skin adherable device having a bottom surface adapted to be in contact with the patient's skin.
- the reservoir is contained within a housing and filled using an additional syringe.
- This paradigm was discussed, for example, in U.S. Patents Nos. 5,957,895 , 6,589,229 , 6,740,059 , 6,723,072 , and 6,485,461 .
- These second generation skin adherable devices still have several drawbacks, the most significant being that the entire device should be disposed of every 2-3 days (due to insertion site infections and reduced insulin absorption) including all the expensive components (electronics, driving mechanism, etc.).
- Third generation skin-securable devices were devised to avoid the cost issues of the second generation devices and to extend patient customization.
- An example of such a device is described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007-0106218 and in International Patent Application Publication No. WO/2007/052277 .
- This third generation device contains a remote control unit and a skin-securable (e.g ., adherable) patch unit that include two parts: (1) a reusable part containing the electronics, at least a portion of the driving mechanism and other relatively expensive components, and (2) a disposable part containing the reservoir.
- a skin-securable fluid (e.g ., insulin) delivery device is also disclosed in U.S. Patent Application No. 11/989,681 and in International Patent Application Publication No. WO/2008/012817 .
- a fourth generation infusion device was devised as a dispensing unit that can be disconnected and reconnected to a skin-adherable cradle unit, as disclosed, for example, in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2008-0215035 and in International Patent Application Publication No. WO/2008/078318 .
- Such skin-securable dispensing units can be operated using a remote control and/or a user interface (e.g ., a button-based interlace) provided on a housing of the dispensing unit, as disclosed, for example, in International Patent Application Publication No. WO/2009/013736, filed July 20, 2008 , claiming priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No.
- the third and fourth generation dispensing patches can be incorporated with an analyte (i.e. glucose) sensing apparatus enabling continuous readings of analyte levels.
- Fluid dispensing can be done automatically according to analyte sensing (closed loop system) or semi automatic if the user wishes to control delivery (open loop system).
- analyte sensing closed loop system
- semi automatic if the user wishes to control delivery open loop system
- the pumping mechanism employed in most insulin pumps is a "syringe-like mechanism", known also as a positive displacement piston pump.
- a plunger moves (i.e ., slides) within a cylindrical shaped barrel (reservoir), pushing the contents (i.e., drug) out, typically, through a small opening at the end of the reservoir/syringe.
- the plunger is pushed forward by a drive-screw (plunger rod) that can be integral, rigidly connected, or articulated with the plunger head (piston).
- the driving mechanism typically consists of a motor and a transmission gear system, which is used to linearly displace the drive-screw either by rotation of the drive-screw, rotation of a drive nut, or rotation of a drive pinion over a rack that serves as a drive-screw (a rack is a toothed bar or rod. Torque is converted to linear force by meshing a rack with a pinion: the pinion turns; the rack moves in a straight line).
- the transmission gear system is used for reduction of motor revolutions and/or for changing the rotation axis by 90 or 180 degrees, for example.
- the pump's transmission gear system consists of two or more parallel shaft gears (e.g. , single stage reduction), comprising two metal cogwheels, integrated with a tooth mesh and both cogwheel shafts are parallel mounted on a metal chassis (gear casing).
- Transmission error (hereinafter referred to also as "TE") is defined as the difference between the actual position of the output gear and the position it would occupy if the gear drive were perfectly conjugated.
- TE is the difference between the actual position of the output shaft of a gear drive and the position that the output shaft of the gear drive would have if the gear drive were perfect, without errors or deflections.
- the main contributors to transmission error are geometrical errors in alignment ( e.g ., due to assembly errors/tolerances), tooth profile ( e.g ., due to manufacturing imperfections/tolerances), elastic deformation of local contacts, and the deflection of the gear shafts and casing due to the transmitted load through and transverse to the gear rotation axis.
- the magnitude of this one per cycle error may depend on load and it may thus be classified as loaded TE.
- Insulin pumps should deliver basal doses at a very low rate along the entire day with high precision (e.g ., 0.05U/h that is 5mm 3 /h in case of 100U/ml rapid acting insulin).
- high precision e.g ., 0.05U/h that is 5mm 3 /h in case of 100U/ml rapid acting insulin.
- TE introduces a "sine like" wave to the expected drug delivery linear curve with fluctuations that can substantially affect insulin delivery accuracy and threaten the life of the diabetes patient.
- TE is may be minimized in gear systems of 1 st generation pumps by making gears, gear casings, and bearings robust (e.g ., relatively large components, metal components). Consequently these "pager like” pumps are undesirably heavy, bulky, and expensive.
- the design goal of skin securable 2nd, 3rd, and 4th generation pumps is that they shall be small and lightweight, with minimal components and assembly costs. Consequently, the gears, gear casing, and bearings for these pumps are configured to be miniature and lightweight and therefore, they are typically made of plastic (i.e ., polycarbonate, polypropylene, etc.). These plastic parts should maintain metal parts' requirements and avoid (or minimize) transmission error. However, plastic parts, especially miniature plastic parts, are typically more subject to manufacturing (e.g ., injection molding) and assembly imperfections than metal parts, and are also typically more subject to deformations caused by forces/load applied during routine operation of the pump, all of which are likely to result in transmission error.
- plastic i.e ., polycarbonate, polypropylene, etc.
- Transmission error may further be aggravated in 3rd and 4th generation two-part skin securable pumps because the interface between the drive-screw (piston rod) and gear is achieved during connection of the two parts by the user, thus increasing the risk of component misalignment, for example.
- the patch unit includes a driving mechanism comprising a motor and a gear system with minimized transmission error, for delivering fluids at a high accuracy rate.
- a skin securable drug dispensing patch unit that includes two parts, e.g ., a reusable part and a disposable part.
- the disposable part (“DP”) includes a reservoir and a slidable plunger.
- the reusable part (“RP”) includes electronics, and at least a portion of a driving mechanism including a motor and a gear system with minimized transmission error, for delivering fluids at a high accuracy rate.
- a fluid infusion device for delivering a drug into the body of a user as defined by claim 1.
- FIG. 1 shows a system, according to some embodiments, that may include (at least) the following three (3) components:
- Dispensing patch unit 10 for delivery of therapeutic fluid/s to a patient.
- the patch 10 may be comprised of one or two parts (e.g ., a reusable part and a disposable part).
- the patch 10 may be disconnected from and reconnected to a skin securable (e.g ., adherable) cradle unit 20 ("cradle").
- Commands relating to fluid dispensing may be provided, according to some embodiments, via a remote control and/or using buttons/switches located on the patch 10, as disclosed, for example, in International Patent Application Publication No. WO/2009/013736 , and International Patent Application Publication No. WO/2009/016636 .
- Remote control unit 30 which may include, in some embodiments, an integrated blood glucose monitor, may also be provided.
- the remote control 30 may include a screen 32, a keypad 34, and a slot 36 to receive a blood test strip 38.
- the remote control 30 may be used for patch programming and/or data acquisition, and may also be used for communicating with other electronic devices such as a personal computer (“PC”), to carry out, for example, data downloading and uploading.
- the remote control 30 may be configured, without limitation, as a wrist-watch, a cellular phone, a personal digital assistant, iPhone, iPod, or an mp3 player.
- Embodiments of the cradle 20 may be configured as a generally flat sheet or plate having a surface that is securable (e.g ., adherable) to the skin of a patient, e.g ., via an adhesive layer 22 provided on a bottom surface of the cradle 20.
- the cradle 20 may also contain a passageway for insertion of a cannula (not shown) into the body.
- the cradle 20 may further include connecting means/connectors (e.g ., snaps) to rigidly secure the patch 10 and/or cannula to the cradle 20, as well as ribs, walls, and the like, so as to maintain structural rigidity.
- U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007-0191702 discloses a device that includes a dispensing patch unit (e.g ., an insulin dispensing patch) and an analyte sensor (e.g., a continuous glucose monitor).
- a dispensing patch unit e.g ., an insulin dispensing patch
- an analyte sensor e.g., a continuous glucose monitor.
- This type of dual function device may have a similar configuration to that outlined above and may also be disconnected from and reconnected to the skin at the patient's discretion.
- FIGS. 2a-2b show longitudinal cross sectional views of a two-part dispensing patch unit 10, according to some embodiments.
- FIG. 2a shows the two parts connected
- FIG. 2b shows the two parts disconnected.
- the dispensing patch unit 10 may include a disposable part 200 ("DP") and a reusable part 100 ("RP").
- the RP 100 may be a durable unit/assembly which is replaced every three months, for example, and the DP 200 may be a single-use unit/assembly which is discarded and replaced every 2-3 days, for example.
- a single RP 100 may be coupled to approximately thirty (or more) different DPs 200 throughout its lifetime.
- the disposable part 200 may include an external housing 210, a portion of which may also form/define the reservoir 220, and a chassis (insert) 288 to support DP components including, for example, a battery 240 and an outlet port 213.
- a plunger (piston) 235 may be linearly displaced within the reservoir 220 by a drive-screw (plunger rod) 230, that may be integral with the plunger 235 or connected/coupled to the plunger 235 via a distal end of the drive-screw.
- the drive screw (plunger rod) 230 may further include a proximal end configured as a drive-screw rotator 232.
- the drive-screw rotator 232 may be integral with the drive-screw 230 or attached ( e.g ., glued) to the drive-screw 230.
- the reusable part 100 may include an external housing 110, and a chassis (insert) 188 to support the RP components including, for example, electronics 150 ( e.g ., attached to a PCB) and at least a portion of a driving mechanism.
- the driving mechanism may include a motor 130 and a transmission/reduction gear system.
- Such gear system may include a gearbox 131, which may comprise a planetary unit.
- the term "gearbox" may be used hereinafter to describe either a shell/housing with at least one gear enclosed therein, or the shell/housing alone.
- the gear system may further include one or more additional gears, e.g ., gear 162, which meshes with one or more gears of the gearbox, e.g ., gear 134.
- Gear 162 may be coupled to, or integral with, a rotating sleeve 160 for engagement with the drive-screw rotator 232 of the DP 200.
- the drive-screw rotator 232 is received by the rotating sleeve 160.
- the rotating sleeve 160 may be enclosed within a casing 40 configured to support the rotating sleeve 160 and maintain alignment of the rotating sleeve 160 and the rotating sleeve gear 162 with the longitudinal axis of the device and/or with the longitudinal axis ( e.g., the axis of rotation) of a component of the device ( e.g ., gear 134).
- the casing 40 may be part of the RP chassis 188 or it may be a separate component/structure.
- the casing 40 may include one or more pieces attachable to ( e.g ., using glue or ultrasonic welding), or integral with, the RP chassis 188.
- Two operating buttons 15 e.g ., bolus buttons
- FIG. 3 shows a further embodiment of a patch 10 comprised of two parts -- a reusable part 100 and a disposable part 200.
- the reusable and disposable parts may each be comprised of one or more housings (interchangeably wording with “shell” or “pocket”) and chassis (interchangeably wording with “insert”).
- the chassis may be used as a support structure ("skeleton") for attachment of components within the housing.
- the pumping mechanism may be "syringe-like” and may include a sliding plunger 235 within a barrel ( i.e ., a reservoir) 220, which may be cylindrical or oval, for example.
- the RP 100 may include the relatively expensive components including (but not limited to) a motor 130, gear system including a gearbox 131 and rotating sleeve 160, electronics 150, and operating buttons 15, e.g ., to manually deliver fluid without the aid of the remote control (also referred-to as "bolus buttons").
- the DP 200 may include the reservoir 220, the plunger 235 with one or more gaskets 237, a threaded plunger rod (“drive-screw”) 230 that may have a distal end articulating with the plunger 235 and a proximal end that is engaged with the rotating sleeve 160 after RP-DP connection.
- the proximal end may be configured as a drive-screw rotator 232 (or “engagement member”).
- the DP 200 may further include an engagement nut 209 (hereinafter “nut"), an exit port 213 and, in some embodiments, one or more batteries 240.
- the DP exit port 213 may include a connecting lumen (not shown) that, in some embodiments, maintains fluid communication between the reservoir 220 and the body, e.g ., via a cannula (not shown) inserted in the subcutaneous tissue.
- a delivery tube 250 may be used to connect the reservoir 220 to the connecting lumen. Forward motion of the plunger 235 urges fluid from the reservoir 220 into the delivery tube 250.
- the reservoir's cross-section is oval/elliptical, or it may include a plurality of arches (e.g ., four or eight arches) to maintain a thin profile of the patch.
- the DP 200 includes a shell (pocket) 210 to house internal components. A portion of the DP shell 210 may also define the reservoir 220 ( i.e ., serve as one or more walls of the reservoir 220).
- FIG. 4 shows a transmission/reduction gear system, according to some embodiments, that comprises two intermeshing cogwheels (gears) 702 and 706 and shafts 704 and 708.
- rotation of the input shaft 704 and the input gear 702 causes rotation of the output gear 706 and the output shaft 708 at a slower rate (i.e ., when the smaller gear 702 has completed one revolution the larger gear 706 will have completed less than one revolution).
- FIG. 5 shows a transmission/reduction gear system 800, according to some embodiments, that comprises two intermeshing cogwheels (gears) 802 and 806 mounted on shafts 804 and 808, respectively.
- the intermeshing cogwheels 802 and 806 have the same number of teeth, and the shafts 804 and 808 are parallel to each other, which may be established by a casing (housing) 810.
- a casing housing
- rotation of one shaft the input shaft
- Free rotation of the shafts within the casing may be maintained by bearings (not shown) or lubrication means ( i.e ., greasing), for example.
- FIG. 6a shows a transmission/reduction gear system 900, according to some embodiments, that comprises two intermeshing cogwheels (gears) 902 and 906 mounted on shafts 904 and 908, respectively.
- the intermeshing cogwheels 902 and 906 have the same number of teeth, however casing 910 does not maintain the shafts 904 and 908 parallel to each other. In this situation, and according to some embodiments, rotation of one shaft (input shaft) will not result in equal rotation of the other shaft (output shaft), i.e ., transmission error exists.
- FIGS. 6b and 6c show an upper view ( FIG. 6b ) and a magnification of meshing cogwheels 902 and 906 ( FIG. 6c ) of a misaligned transmission gear system 900 that consequently causes transmission error.
- Shafts 904 and 908 in this example are not parallel. It will be noted that misalignment of shafts may refer not only to the angle between the shafts, as shown in FIGS. 6a-6c , but also to the distance/space between the shafts.
- gear teeth geometry e.g ., involute teeth
- dimensions dictate the required spacing (i.e ., accurate spacing) between the gear shafts ( i.e ., between the rotation axis of the gears) to ensure continuous and accurate angular movement of the gears. If the shafts are positioned too close to one another or too far from one another, this may lead to improper meshing of the respective gear teeth, resulting in transmission error.
- transmission error may be a consequence of the following:
- FIGS. 7a-7d show representative graphs of transmission error at various rotational velocities.
- the X axis represents a single revolution (cycle) of the output shaft/gear and the Y axis is the transmission error.
- the low frequency wave (“carrier wave”) is at a frequency of one wave per cycle of the output shaft.
- This low frequency transmission error may represent eccentricity of the output shaft, which may be a consequence of a faulty interface between the output shaft and its bearing/s, for example.
- the high frequency wave/s may be related to faulty gear teeth, for example. It can be seen that at high velocities the high frequency waves are diminished ( i.e. , their amplitude significantly decreases) because the effect of damaged teeth, for example, is relatively negligible.
- FIGS. 8a-8b show a perspective view ( FIG. 8a ) and a transverse cross sectional view ( FIG. 8b ) of the rotating sleeve 160, according to some embodiments.
- the sleeve 160 may be configured as an elongated substantially hollow shaft (e.g ., cylindrical) 161 with a gear 162 at its proximal end.
- the inner part of the sleeve 160 may include longitudinal teeth (ridges) 164 occupying, in some embodiments, the entire length of the sleeve 160.
- the longitudinal teeth 164 define longitudinal grooves 165 for receiving the drive-screw rotator 232.
- the gear 162 is meshed with gear 134 (shown, for example, in FIG. 15 ) and is the last stage of the reduction gear system.
- the inner teeth 164 may engage with the drive-screw rotator 232 (shown, for example, in FIG. 3 ) upon connection of the reusable and disposable parts (shown, for example, in FIG. 3 ).
- the rotating sleeve 160 (or at least a portion of its shaft 161) may be positioned within a sleeve housing/casing 40.
- the sleeve housing 40 may be configured as a tube, as shown in FIG. 8a .
- the sleeve housing 40 may be configured as two (or more) supports (not shown) located at the two shaft ends, for example. These two or more supports may have a substantially annular configuration or any other configuration suitable for supporting the shaft 161.
- FIG. 8b shows the rotating sleeve 160 within the sleeve housing 40.
- a space 14' may be present between the rotating sleeve 160 and the sleeve housing 40 as a result of predetermined tolerances to enable free rotation of the sleeve 160 within the housing 40 (according to some embodiments), and/or as a result of undesired manufacturing tolerances of the sleeve 160 and/or of the casing 40. This space 14' may allow undesired wobbling motion of the sleeve 160 within the casing 40 resulting in eccentricity of the rotating sleeve 160 and variable friction forces between the sleeve 160 and the casing 40.
- FIG. 9 shows an example bar graph of consecutive bolus deliveries of a dispensing unit having a rotating sleeve, when transmission error exists.
- the X axis represents the number of bolus deliveries, and the Y axis represents the bolus size (in insulin units).
- each initiated bolus delivery should have resulted in the delivery of 0.1U of insulin.
- the presence of transmission error/s leads to variability in the delivered insulin amounts, characterized by a low frequency sine wave as well as high frequency sine wave/s.
- the frequency of the low frequency sine wave corresponds to one full rotating sleeve rotation cycle.
- this sine wave may be the consequence of a transmission error related to the rotating sleeve and/or its interfaces with other components (e.g ., gear 134 and/or the drive-screw rotator 232 in FIG. 2 ).
- rotation of the rotating sleeve rotates the drive-screw rotator and thus the drive-screw, and the rotation of the drive-screw is consequently converted to linear motion of the drive-screw and the plunger within the reservoir, e.g ., due to engagement of the drive-screw with a non-rotating nut.
- transmission errors related to the rotating sleeve e.g ., imperfect interface between the rotating sleeve and its casing ( e.g., a tube-like casing, as shown in FIG. 8a ) and/or imperfect interface between the drive-screw rotator and the rotating sleeve, may cause variations in the rotation of the drive-screw leading to variations in the linear movement of the piston, and consequently to cyclic variations in delivered bolus amounts corresponding to the rotating sleeve's cycle.
- FIGS. 10a-10b show a perspective view ( FIG. 10a ) and a transverse cross sectional view ( FIG. 10b ) of an embodiment of a rotating sleeve casing 140, which is configured (for example) as a V-block.
- the rotating sleeve 160 is aligned with the V-block casing 140 by an applied external force (F).
- the V-block/section includes at least a pair of walls having corresponding surfaces provided at an angle to one another thereby establishing a "trough" for holding the rotating sleeve.
- the angle is less than 180 degrees, and in some embodiments the angle may be less then 120 degrees. In some embodiments, the angle may be between 30 and 120 degrees, e.g ., 90 degrees.
- the V-block, and corresponding surfaces may be divided into a plurality of V-blocks/surfaces (e.g., two, three), which may be distributed such that the combined blocks/surfaces support a substantial portion of the length of the rotating sleeve.
- V-blocks/surfaces e.g., two, three
- the friction forces between the rotating sleeve 160 and the casing 140 are maintained substantially constant and stable.
- FIG. 10b shows the rotating sleeve 160, the gear 162 at its proximal end, and the inner teeth 164.
- FIG. 10c shows the counter radial forces (R) acting on the rotating sleeve 160 by the walls of the V-shaped casing 140 and the external force (F) that is applied by the spring 190, for example, to maintain constant alignment of the rotating sleeve 160 with the X axis (corresponding to the longitudinal axis of the patch unit, for example).
- FIG. 11 shows a partial exploded view of an example reusable part 100. Shown are reusable part components, including the shell 110, chassis 188, rotating sleeve 160 and supporting spring 190.
- Two operating buttons/switches (e.g ., bolus buttons) 15 may be positioned one on each side of the shell 110 and a protective shield 111 may be connected to the shell's upper side, according to some embodiments.
- the insert 188 may support one or more of: electronics, motor (not shown), gearbox 131, and the rotating sleeve 160 with the rotating sleeve gear 162.
- the rotating sleeve 160 is supported by a casing 340, which may be either coupled to the chassis 188 or integral with the chassis 188.
- the casing 340 includes at least one V-block section, and the rotating sleeve 160 is forced against the V-block walls/surfaces (not shown in FIG. 11 ) by spring 190.
- the spring 190 may be positioned within one or more slots, e.g ., slot 192, in the chassis 188 and/or in the casing 340.
- the rotating sleeve 160 may include at least one opening 166, to allow monitoring of the position of the drive-screw and/or the drive-screw rotator (both not shown in FIG. 11 ) within the rotating sleeve 160, in order to provide an "end of reservoir alert", as disclosed, for example, in International Patent Application Publication No. WO/2009/125398 .
- the casing 340 may include at least one opening (not shown in FIG. 11 ) corresponding to the at least one opening 166 of the sleeve 160.
- the spring 190 may be a separate piece made of bent metal or plastic.
- the spring 190 may be a flexible extension of the insert 188 and/or the casing 340 ( e.g ., molded as one part with the insert 188 and/or the casing 340).
- FIGS. 12a-12b show perspective views of the reusable part chassis (insert) 188 before ( FIG. 12a ) and after ( FIG. 12b ) assembly of the rotating sleeve 160 and the supporting spring 190 within the chassis 188, according to some embodiments.
- the chassis 188 may include a distal end 186 configured to be connected to the DP shell (not shown) and a proximal end 189 configured to support one or more or all of the electronics, buzzer, motor, gear, sensor, and capacitor, and to be received by the RP shell (not shown in FIGS. 12a-12b ).
- gaskets 187 and 187' may be connected/coupled to the chassis 188 to maintain sealing with both the RP shell and the DP shell, respectively. These gaskets 187 and 187' may be glued to the chassis 188 or over-molded after, chassis molding.
- a portion of the chassis 188 may serve as the rotating sleeve casing 340 (i.e., the chassis 188 and the casing 340 may be manufactured as a single part).
- the casing 340 includes a pair of substantially flat walls/surfaces 3401 and 3402, which are provided at an angle relative to one another so as to form together (or function as) a V-block/section (or "V-groove").
- the angle between the two walls/surfaces 3401 and 3402 (which is equal to the angle between the perpendiculars to the walls/surfaces) is less than 180 degrees, and in some embodiments the angle may be less then 120 degrees. In some embodiments, the angle may be between 30 and 120 degrees, e.g ., 90 degrees. In some embodiments, the walls/surfaces 3401 and 3402 may be the contact areas between the rotating sleeve 160 and the casing 340. As noted above, in some embodiments, the casing 340 may include two or more V-blocks/sections ( e.g ., front and rear of the casing 340).
- the casing 340 and/or the chassis 188 may include slots, e.g ., a lower slot 192 and an upper slot 193 to receive and fixate the supporting spring 190.
- At least one slot, e.g ., slot 193, may be configured to allow access of the spring 190 to the rotating sleeve 160, so that the spring 190 may apply force on the rotating sleeve 160 against the V-block/s (spring loaded mechanism).
- the force applied on the rotating sleeve gear 162 by an engaging gear e.g ., gear 134 shown in FIG. 11
- an engaging gear e.g ., gear 134 shown in FIG. 11
- FIGS. 13a-13b show a transverse cross sectional view of the reusable part 100 ( FIG. 13a ) and a magnified view of the rotating sleeve 160 ( FIG. 13b ) including the supporting spring 190.
- the dispensing patch unit may be connected to a cradle 20 that is secured to the body ( e.g ., using an adhesive tape 22).
- the reusable part 100 may include a shell 110 and a chassis 188.
- the chassis 188 may support the gearbox 131 and other transmission/reduction gears (not shown).
- a portion of the chassis 188 may serve as the rotating sleeve casing 340 and may also be configured to receive and fixate the spring 190.
- the rotating sleeve 160 rotates within the casing 340 and is forced toward one or more V-blocks of the casing 340, e.g ., the V-block composed of walls 3403 and 3404, by the spring 190, which penetrates the casing 340 through a dedicated slot ( e.g ., the slot designated by numeral 193 in FIG. 12a ).
- the portion of the spring 190 which penetrates the casing 340 is shown in phantom lines in FIGS. 13a-13b . Further shown in FIGS. 13a and 13b is the positioning of the drive-screw rotator 232 within the rotating sleeve 160 when the DP 200 is connected to the RP 100.
- FIG. 14a shows a perspective view of the RP chassis (insert) 188 before assembly of the motor and the gearbox, according to some embodiments, and with the rotating sleeve 160 in place.
- the chassis 188 may include multiple alignment surfaces 171, 172, 173, 174, 175, 176, 177 to maintain parallel alignment (or at least substantially so) and accurate spacing (or at least substantially so) between the longitudinal axis (or rotation axis) of the motor and gearbox 131 (not shown in FIG. 14a ) and the longitudinal axis (or rotation axis) of the rotating sleeve 160, or at least between the longitudinal axis (or rotation axis) of gear 134 (not shown in FIG.
- the gearbox 131 may be pressed against one or more of the alignment surfaces 171-177 using latches/snaps and/or an adhesive.
- the shell/casing of the gearbox 131 may include at least one relatively elastic portion (e.g ., a crush rib) which, when pressed against the chassis 188, presses the gearbox 131 against one or more of the alignment surfaces 171-177.
- FIG. 14b shows the RP chassis 188 after assembly of the motor (not shown in FIG. 14b ) and the gearbox 131, in addition to the rotating sleeve gear 160.
- FIG. 15 shows an example driving mechanism of a patch unit, according to some embodiments, including the motor 130, the gearbox 131, and the rotating sleeve 160 with its gear 162.
- the gearbox 131 may comprise a planetary unit 132 and one or more additional gears 134 ( e.g ., reduction gear/s, idler gear/s) between the rotating sleeve gear 162 and the planetary unit 132.
- the longitudinal axis (rotation axis) of the rotating sleeve 160 and its gear 162 is parallel aligned (or at least substantially so) with the longitudinal axis (rotation axis) of the motor 130 and the planetary unit 132 and with the longitudinal axis (rotation axis) of the gear 134.
- FIG. 16 shows a transverse cross sectional view of the rotating sleeve 160 and a drive-screw rotator 232 positioned therein.
- the drive-screw rotator 232 may include a varying number of teeth (ridges), e.g ., four teeth 24.
- the teeth 24 of the drive-screw rotator 232 engage with the teeth 164 of the rotating sleeve 160 such that rotation of the sleeve 160 rotates the drive-screw rotator 232, and thus the drive-screw (not shown in FIG. 16 ), since the drive-screw rotator 232 is either integral with the drive-screw or rigidly attached to the drive-screw.
- the drive-screw rotator 232 does not rotate relative to the sleeve 160. Unlike the interaction between two engaging gears, where rotation of one gear causes the other gear to rotate in the opposite direction as a result of meshing of the gear teeth, engagement of the drive-screw rotator teeth 24 with the sleeve teeth 164 causes the drive-screw rotator 232, and thus the drive-screw 230, to rotate together with the sleeve 160, in the same direction.
- the sleeve teeth 164 "push/pull" the rotator teeth 24 along with them as they rotate, allowing only linear relative movement between the drive-screw rotator 232 and the sleeve 160. As shown in FIG.
- the drive-screw rotator 232 may include surfaces 25 ("centralizing surfaces") between adjacent rotator teeth 24 for ensuring proper alignment between the rotator 232 and the sleeve 160 by maintaining contact with the upper portions of the sleeve teeth 164.
- each centralizing surface 25 may maintain contact with the upper portion of one or more teeth 164 of the rotating sleeve 160.
- FIGS. 17a-17f show perspective views of the drive-screw 230 and various configurations of the drive-screw rotator 232, according to some embodiments.
- FIG. 17a shows the drive-screw 230 and the drive-screw rotator 232, which may be integral with the drive-screw 230 or attached ( e.g ., glued) to the drive-screw 230.
- FIG. 17a shows the drive-screw 230 and the drive-screw rotator 232, which may be integral with the drive-screw 230 or attached ( e.g ., glued) to the drive-screw 230.
- FIG. 17a shows the drive-screw 230 and the drive-screw rotator 232, which may be integral with the drive-screw 230 or attached ( e.g ., glued) to the drive-screw 230.
- FIG. 17a shows the drive-screw 230 and the drive-s
- 17b shows a rotator 2321 having a plurality of "full” teeth (“ridges”) 35, which may extend from the tip of the drive-screw rotator 232 to its base, and one or more “partial” teeth 36, e.g ., one "partial” tooth 36 between every two adjacent "full” teeth 35, which may stem from the tip of the drive-screw rotator 232, similar to the "full” teeth 35, but terminate before reaching the base of the rotator 232, according to some embodiments.
- the "full” teeth 35 may be used for both guiding the drive-screw rotator 2321 into the rotating sleeve (not shown in FIG.
- the "partial" teeth 36 are used for guiding the drive-screw rotator 2321 into the rotating sleeve ( i.e ., to further facilitate the proper insertion of the drive-screw rotator 2321 into the rotating sleeve 160).
- the "partial" teeth 36 do not engage with the teeth of the rotating sleeve so as to enable rotation of the drive-screw upon rotation of the rotating sleeve, because their small size and/or length prevents them from maintaining contact with the sleeve teeth.
- FIG. 17c shows a rotator 2322 having three teeth, where one tooth 28 is flexible to provide a spring mechanism such that when the rotator 2322 is inserted into the sleeve 160 the spring-like tooth 28 secures the rotator 2322 in place and prevents any undesired wobbling of the rotator 2322 within the sleeve 160, according to some embodiments.
- FIG. 17d shows a rotator 2323 having a plurality of teeth ( e.g ., eight) substantially evenly distributed along the circumference of the rotator 2323, according to some embodiments.
- FIG. 17e shows a rotator 2324 having three teeth, according to some embodiments.
- FIG. 17f shows a rotator 2325 having four teeth, according to some embodiments.
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Description
- The present disclosure relates generally to devices for sustained infusion of fluids and/or analyte sensing. More particularly, the disclosure relates to devices that include a skin securable (e.g., adherable) unit comprising a reusable part and a disposable part. Even more particularly, the present disclosure relates to a two-part skin securable unit utilizing a movable piston pumping mechanism that delivers fluid at a high accuracy rate.
- Medical treatment of several illnesses requires continuous drug infusion into various body compartments, such as subcutaneous and intra-venous injections. Diabetes mellitus (DM) patients, for example, require the administration of varying amounts of insulin throughout the day to control their blood glucose levels. In recent years, ambulatory portable insulin infusion pumps have emerged as a superior alternative to multiple daily syringe injections of insulin, initially for
Type 1 diabetes patients and consecutively forType 2 diabetes patients. These pumps, which deliver insulin at a continuous basal rate as well as in bolus volumes, were developed to liberate patients from repeated self-administered injections, and allow them to maintain a near-normal daily routine. Both basal and bolus volumes must be delivered in precise doses, according to individual prescription, since an overdose or under-dose of insulin could be fatal. - The first generation of portable insulin pumps refers to a "pager like" device with a reservoir included within a housing and long tubing is required to deliver insulin from the reservoir to the infusion site. Examples of such devices are disclosed in
U.S. Patents Nos. 6,248,093 and7,390,314 . These devices are usually heavy and bulky and the tubing substantially disturbs daily activity. - To avoid the limitations of first generation infusion pumps, an additional concept was proposed, which was implemented in second generation pumps. The additional concept concerns a remote controlled skin adherable device having a bottom surface adapted to be in contact with the patient's skin. The reservoir is contained within a housing and filled using an additional syringe. This paradigm was discussed, for example, in
U.S. Patents Nos. 5,957,895 ,6,589,229 ,6,740,059 ,6,723,072 , and6,485,461 . These second generation skin adherable devices still have several drawbacks, the most significant being that the entire device should be disposed of every 2-3 days (due to insertion site infections and reduced insulin absorption) including all the expensive components (electronics, driving mechanism, etc.). - Third generation skin-securable devices were devised to avoid the cost issues of the second generation devices and to extend patient customization. An example of such a device is described in
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007-0106218 and in International Patent Application Publication No.WO/2007/052277 . This third generation device contains a remote control unit and a skin-securable (e.g., adherable) patch unit that include two parts: (1) a reusable part containing the electronics, at least a portion of the driving mechanism and other relatively expensive components, and (2) a disposable part containing the reservoir. A skin-securable fluid (e.g., insulin) delivery device is also disclosed inU.S. Patent Application No. 11/989,681 and in International Patent Application Publication No.WO/2008/012817 . - A fourth generation infusion device was devised as a dispensing unit that can be disconnected and reconnected to a skin-adherable cradle unit, as disclosed, for example, in
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2008-0215035 and in International Patent Application Publication No.WO/2008/078318 . Such skin-securable dispensing units can be operated using a remote control and/or a user interface (e.g., a button-based interlace) provided on a housing of the dispensing unit, as disclosed, for example, in International Patent Application Publication No.WO/2009/013736, filed July 20, 2008 , claiming priority toU.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/961,527 , and entitled "Manually Operable Portable Infusion Device", and in International Patent Application Publication No.WO/2009/016636, filed July 31, 2008 , claiming priority toU.S. Provisional Applications Serial Nos. 60/963,148 and61/004,019 - The third and fourth generation dispensing patches can be incorporated with an analyte (i.e. glucose) sensing apparatus enabling continuous readings of analyte levels. Fluid dispensing can be done automatically according to analyte sensing (closed loop system) or semi automatic if the user wishes to control delivery (open loop system). Such dual function sensing and dispensing devices are disclosed, for example, in
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007-0191702 . - The pumping mechanism employed in most insulin pumps is a "syringe-like mechanism", known also as a positive displacement piston pump. In such a pump, a plunger (piston) moves (i.e., slides) within a cylindrical shaped barrel (reservoir), pushing the contents (i.e., drug) out, typically, through a small opening at the end of the reservoir/syringe. The plunger is pushed forward by a drive-screw (plunger rod) that can be integral, rigidly connected, or articulated with the plunger head (piston). The driving mechanism typically consists of a motor and a transmission gear system, which is used to linearly displace the drive-screw either by rotation of the drive-screw, rotation of a drive nut, or rotation of a drive pinion over a rack that serves as a drive-screw (a rack is a toothed bar or rod. Torque is converted to linear force by meshing a rack with a pinion: the pinion turns; the rack moves in a straight line). The transmission gear system is used for reduction of motor revolutions and/or for changing the rotation axis by 90 or 180 degrees, for example.
- Typically, the pump's transmission gear system consists of two or more parallel shaft gears (e.g., single stage reduction), comprising two metal cogwheels, integrated with a tooth mesh and both cogwheel shafts are parallel mounted on a metal chassis (gear casing).
- Transmission error (hereinafter referred to also as "TE") is defined as the difference between the actual position of the output gear and the position it would occupy if the gear drive were perfectly conjugated. The equation for TE is expressed as:
Where Z1 is the number of teeth of the input gear, Z2 is the number of teeth of the output gear and θ1 and θ2 denote the angular position of the input and output gears in radians, respectively. Essentially, TE is the difference between the actual position of the output shaft of a gear drive and the position that the output shaft of the gear drive would have if the gear drive were perfect, without errors or deflections. The main contributors to transmission error are geometrical errors in alignment (e.g., due to assembly errors/tolerances), tooth profile (e.g., due to manufacturing imperfections/tolerances), elastic deformation of local contacts, and the deflection of the gear shafts and casing due to the transmitted load through and transverse to the gear rotation axis. Depending on its cause, the frequency of the transmission error may be high (i.e., >1 per cycle of the output shaft), or it may be substantially equal to the frequency of the output shaft's rotation (i.e., =1 per cycle of the output shaft). The magnitude of this one per cycle error may depend on load and it may thus be classified as loaded TE. - A consequence of TE existing in transmission gear systems of insulin pumps is inaccuracy in drug delivery. Insulin pumps should deliver basal doses at a very low rate along the entire day with high precision (e.g., 0.05U/h that is 5mm3/h in case of 100U/ml rapid acting insulin). Typically, the existence of TE introduces a "sine like" wave to the expected drug delivery linear curve with fluctuations that can substantially affect insulin delivery accuracy and threaten the life of the diabetes patient.
- It is understood that TE is may be minimized in gear systems of 1 st generation pumps by making gears, gear casings, and bearings robust (e.g., relatively large components, metal components). Consequently these "pager like" pumps are undesirably heavy, bulky, and expensive.
- The design goal of skin securable 2nd, 3rd, and 4th generation pumps, however, is that they shall be small and lightweight, with minimal components and assembly costs. Consequently, the gears, gear casing, and bearings for these pumps are configured to be miniature and lightweight and therefore, they are typically made of plastic (i.e., polycarbonate, polypropylene, etc.). These plastic parts should maintain metal parts' requirements and avoid (or minimize) transmission error. However, plastic parts, especially miniature plastic parts, are typically more subject to manufacturing (e.g., injection molding) and assembly imperfections than metal parts, and are also typically more subject to deformations caused by forces/load applied during routine operation of the pump, all of which are likely to result in transmission error. Transmission error may further be aggravated in 3rd and 4th generation two-part skin securable pumps because the interface between the drive-screw (piston rod) and gear is achieved during connection of the two parts by the user, thus increasing the risk of component misalignment, for example.
- Thus, it is desirable to provide a skin securable drug dispensing patch unit which is miniature, discreet, economical for the users and highly cost effective. The patch unit includes a driving mechanism comprising a motor and a gear system with minimized transmission error, for delivering fluids at a high accuracy rate.
- It is also desirable to provide a skin securable drug dispensing patch unit that includes two parts, e.g., a reusable part and a disposable part. The disposable part ("DP") includes a reservoir and a slidable plunger. The reusable part ("RP") includes electronics, and at least a portion of a driving mechanism including a motor and a gear system with minimized transmission error, for delivering fluids at a high accuracy rate.
- In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a fluid infusion device for delivering a drug into the body of a user as defined by
claim 1. - In addition, further advantageous embodiments follow from the dependent claims.
- Some of the embodiments of the present disclosure are described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, like reference numbers indicate identical or functionally similar elements.
-
FIG. 1 shows a system comprising three units: a remote control unit, which may include an integrated blood glucose monitor, a two-part skin securable dispensing patch unit, and a skin adherable cradle unit, according to some embodiments. -
FIGS. 2a-2b show a cross sectional view of the connected (FIG. 2a ) and disconnected (FIG. 2b ) two part skin securable patch unit, according to some embodiments. -
FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of a disconnected two-part dispensing unit that comprises a reusable part and a disposable part, according to some embodiments. -
FIG. 4 shows a typical one stage reduction gear system, according to some embodiments. -
FIG. 5 shows a transmission gear system. Two intermeshing cogwheels are mounted on two parallel shafts that are aligned by a rigid casing, according to some embodiments. -
FIGS. 6a-6c show a transmission gear system. Two intermeshing cogwheels are mounted on two non-parallel shafts, according to some embodiments. -
FIGS. 7a-7d show representing graphs of transmission error at various rotational velocities, according to some embodiments. -
FIGS. 8a-8b shows a perspective view (FIG. 8a ) and a transverse cross sectional view (FIG. 8b ) of a rotating sleeve within a tube-shaped casing, according to some embodiments. -
FIG. 9 shows a typical bar graph of consecutive bolus deliveries when transmission error exists, according to some embodiments. -
FIGS. 10a-10b show a perspective view (FIG. 10a ) and a transverse cross sectional view (FIG. 10b ) of a rotating sleeve aligned with a V-block casing by an applied external force, according to some embodiments. -
FIG 10c shows the radial forces (R) acting on the rotating sleeve by the V-Block and the external force (F) that is applied by a spring to maintain constant alignment with the X axis, according to some embodiments. -
FIG. 11 shows a partial exploded view of a reusable part including a shell, chassis, rotating sleeve and supporting spring, according to some embodiments. -
FIGS. 12a-12b show perspective views of the reusable part chassis before (FIG. 12a ) and after (FIG. 12b ) assembly of the rotating sleeve and supporting spring, according to some embodiments. -
FIGS. 13a-13b show a transverse cross sectional view of the reusable part (FIG. 13a ) and a magnified view of the rotating sleeve (FIG. 13b ) including the supporting spring, according to some embodiments. -
FIGS. 14a-14b show perspective views of the reusable part chassis including the alignment surfaces before (FIG. 14a ) and after (FIG. 14b ) assembly of the planetary gear and the motor, according to some embodiments. -
FIG. 15 shows the motor and planetary gear parallel aligned with the rotating sleeve and the rotating sleeve gear, according to some embodiments. -
FIG. 16 shows a transverse cross sectional view of the rotating sleeve and the drive-screw rotator, according to some embodiments. -
FIGS. 17a-17f show diagrams of various configurations of the drive-screw rotator, according to some embodiments. -
FIG. 1 shows a system, according to some embodiments, that may include (at least) the following three (3) components: - Dispensing patch unit 10 ("patch") for delivery of therapeutic fluid/s to a patient. The
patch 10 may be comprised of one or two parts (e.g., a reusable part and a disposable part). In some embodiments, thepatch 10 may be disconnected from and reconnected to a skin securable (e.g., adherable) cradle unit 20 ("cradle"). Commands relating to fluid dispensing may be provided, according to some embodiments, via a remote control and/or using buttons/switches located on thepatch 10, as disclosed, for example, in International Patent Application Publication No.WO/2009/013736 , and International Patent Application Publication No.WO/2009/016636 . - Remote control unit 30 ("remote control"), which may include, in some embodiments, an integrated blood glucose monitor, may also be provided. The
remote control 30 may include ascreen 32, akeypad 34, and aslot 36 to receive ablood test strip 38. Theremote control 30 may be used for patch programming and/or data acquisition, and may also be used for communicating with other electronic devices such as a personal computer ("PC"), to carry out, for example, data downloading and uploading. In some embodiments, theremote control 30 may be configured, without limitation, as a wrist-watch, a cellular phone, a personal digital assistant, iPhone, iPod, or an mp3 player. - Embodiments of the
cradle 20 may be configured as a generally flat sheet or plate having a surface that is securable (e.g., adherable) to the skin of a patient, e.g., via anadhesive layer 22 provided on a bottom surface of thecradle 20. Thecradle 20 may also contain a passageway for insertion of a cannula (not shown) into the body. In some embodiments, thecradle 20 may further include connecting means/connectors (e.g., snaps) to rigidly secure thepatch 10 and/or cannula to thecradle 20, as well as ribs, walls, and the like, so as to maintain structural rigidity. - Examples of such a device are disclosed in
U.S Patent Application Publication No. 2008-0215035 , International Patent Application Publication No.WO/2008/078318 ,U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007-0106218 , International Patent Application Publication No.WO/2007/052277 , and International Patent Application Publication No.WO/2009/125398 . -
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007-0191702 , discloses a device that includes a dispensing patch unit (e.g., an insulin dispensing patch) and an analyte sensor (e.g., a continuous glucose monitor). This type of dual function device may have a similar configuration to that outlined above and may also be disconnected from and reconnected to the skin at the patient's discretion. -
FIGS. 2a-2b show longitudinal cross sectional views of a two-partdispensing patch unit 10, according to some embodiments.FIG. 2a shows the two parts connected, andFIG. 2b shows the two parts disconnected. In some embodiments, the dispensingpatch unit 10 may include a disposable part 200 ("DP") and a reusable part 100 ("RP"). In some embodiments, theRP 100 may be a durable unit/assembly which is replaced every three months, for example, and theDP 200 may be a single-use unit/assembly which is discarded and replaced every 2-3 days, for example. In other words, asingle RP 100 may be coupled to approximately thirty (or more)different DPs 200 throughout its lifetime. Thedisposable part 200 may include anexternal housing 210, a portion of which may also form/define thereservoir 220, and a chassis (insert) 288 to support DP components including, for example, abattery 240 and anoutlet port 213. A plunger (piston) 235 may be linearly displaced within thereservoir 220 by a drive-screw (plunger rod) 230, that may be integral with theplunger 235 or connected/coupled to theplunger 235 via a distal end of the drive-screw. The drive screw (plunger rod) 230 may further include a proximal end configured as a drive-screw rotator 232. The drive-screw rotator 232 may be integral with the drive-screw 230 or attached (e.g., glued) to the drive-screw 230. Thereusable part 100 may include anexternal housing 110, and a chassis (insert) 188 to support the RP components including, for example, electronics 150 (e.g., attached to a PCB) and at least a portion of a driving mechanism. The driving mechanism may include amotor 130 and a transmission/reduction gear system. Such gear system may include agearbox 131, which may comprise a planetary unit. The term "gearbox" may be used hereinafter to describe either a shell/housing with at least one gear enclosed therein, or the shell/housing alone. In some embodiments, the gear system may further include one or more additional gears, e.g.,gear 162, which meshes with one or more gears of the gearbox, e.g.,gear 134.Gear 162 may be coupled to, or integral with, arotating sleeve 160 for engagement with the drive-screw rotator 232 of theDP 200. During DP-RP connection, in some embodiments, the drive-screw rotator 232 is received by therotating sleeve 160. Therotating sleeve 160 may be enclosed within acasing 40 configured to support therotating sleeve 160 and maintain alignment of therotating sleeve 160 and therotating sleeve gear 162 with the longitudinal axis of the device and/or with the longitudinal axis (e.g., the axis of rotation) of a component of the device (e.g., gear 134). Thecasing 40 may be part of theRP chassis 188 or it may be a separate component/structure. In some embodiments, thecasing 40 may include one or more pieces attachable to (e.g., using glue or ultrasonic welding), or integral with, theRP chassis 188. Two operating buttons 15 (e.g., bolus buttons) may be provided on theRP housing 110 for issuing commands related to fluid delivery, for example. -
FIG. 3 shows a further embodiment of apatch 10 comprised of two parts -- areusable part 100 and adisposable part 200. The reusable and disposable parts may each be comprised of one or more housings (interchangeably wording with "shell" or "pocket") and chassis (interchangeably wording with "insert"). The chassis may be used as a support structure ("skeleton") for attachment of components within the housing. The pumping mechanism may be "syringe-like" and may include a slidingplunger 235 within a barrel (i.e., a reservoir) 220, which may be cylindrical or oval, for example. TheRP 100 may include the relatively expensive components including (but not limited to) amotor 130, gear system including agearbox 131 androtating sleeve 160,electronics 150, and operatingbuttons 15, e.g., to manually deliver fluid without the aid of the remote control (also referred-to as "bolus buttons"). TheDP 200 may include thereservoir 220, theplunger 235 with one ormore gaskets 237, a threaded plunger rod ("drive-screw") 230 that may have a distal end articulating with theplunger 235 and a proximal end that is engaged with therotating sleeve 160 after RP-DP connection. The proximal end may be configured as a drive-screw rotator 232 (or "engagement member"). TheDP 200 may further include an engagement nut 209 (hereinafter "nut"), anexit port 213 and, in some embodiments, one ormore batteries 240. TheDP exit port 213 may include a connecting lumen (not shown) that, in some embodiments, maintains fluid communication between thereservoir 220 and the body, e.g., via a cannula (not shown) inserted in the subcutaneous tissue. Adelivery tube 250 may be used to connect thereservoir 220 to the connecting lumen. Forward motion of theplunger 235 urges fluid from thereservoir 220 into thedelivery tube 250. In some embodiments, the reservoir's cross-section is oval/elliptical, or it may include a plurality of arches (e.g., four or eight arches) to maintain a thin profile of the patch. TheDP 200 includes a shell (pocket) 210 to house internal components. A portion of theDP shell 210 may also define the reservoir 220 (i.e., serve as one or more walls of the reservoir 220). The DP "insert" 288, in some embodiments, supports at least one of and preferably all of thedelivery tube 250, connecting lumen and one ormore batteries 240, and it may also serve as a construction reinforcing means. -
FIG. 4 shows a transmission/reduction gear system, according to some embodiments, that comprises two intermeshing cogwheels (gears) 702 and 706 andshafts input shaft 704 and theinput gear 702 causes rotation of theoutput gear 706 and theoutput shaft 708 at a slower rate (i.e., when thesmaller gear 702 has completed one revolution thelarger gear 706 will have completed less than one revolution). -
FIG. 5 shows a transmission/reduction gear system 800, according to some embodiments, that comprises two intermeshing cogwheels (gears) 802 and 806 mounted onshafts intermeshing cogwheels shafts -
FIG. 6a shows a transmission/reduction gear system 900, according to some embodiments, that comprises two intermeshing cogwheels (gears) 902 and 906 mounted onshafts intermeshing cogwheels shafts -
FIGS. 6b and 6c show an upper view (FIG. 6b ) and a magnification of meshingcogwheels 902 and 906 (FIG. 6c ) of a misalignedtransmission gear system 900 that consequently causes transmission error.Shafts FIGS. 6a-6c , but also to the distance/space between the shafts. In some embodiments, gear teeth geometry (e.g., involute teeth) and/or dimensions dictate the required spacing (i.e., accurate spacing) between the gear shafts (i.e., between the rotation axis of the gears) to ensure continuous and accurate angular movement of the gears. If the shafts are positioned too close to one another or too far from one another, this may lead to improper meshing of the respective gear teeth, resulting in transmission error. - In addition to misalignment of shafts, which may be a result of assembly errors and/or of forces applied on the shafts/gears, transmission error may be a consequence of the following:
- Faulty bearings - an imperfect interface between a shaft and its bearing/s may result in eccentricity/wobbling of the shaft. For example, in the device shown in
FIGS 2a-2b , an imperfect interface between therotating sleeve 160 and thecasing 40 may lead to eccentricity/wobbling of therotating sleeve 160 within thecasing 40; and/or - Faulty gear teeth - teeth not equally distributed along the circumference of a gear, teeth having different length and shape, etc.; and/or
- Faulty shaft/s - deformed shaft/s (e.g., curved), etc.
-
FIGS. 7a-7d show representative graphs of transmission error at various rotational velocities. The X axis represents a single revolution (cycle) of the output shaft/gear and the Y axis is the transmission error. In some embodiments, the low frequency wave ("carrier wave") is at a frequency of one wave per cycle of the output shaft. This low frequency transmission error may represent eccentricity of the output shaft, which may be a consequence of a faulty interface between the output shaft and its bearing/s, for example. The high frequency wave/s may be related to faulty gear teeth, for example. It can be seen that at high velocities the high frequency waves are diminished (i.e., their amplitude significantly decreases) because the effect of damaged teeth, for example, is relatively negligible. -
FIGS. 8a-8b show a perspective view (FIG. 8a ) and a transverse cross sectional view (FIG. 8b ) of therotating sleeve 160, according to some embodiments. Thesleeve 160 may be configured as an elongated substantially hollow shaft (e.g., cylindrical) 161 with agear 162 at its proximal end. The inner part of thesleeve 160 may include longitudinal teeth (ridges) 164 occupying, in some embodiments, the entire length of thesleeve 160. In some embodiments, thelongitudinal teeth 164 definelongitudinal grooves 165 for receiving the drive-screw rotator 232. In some embodiments, thegear 162 is meshed with gear 134 (shown, for example, inFIG. 15 ) and is the last stage of the reduction gear system. Theinner teeth 164 may engage with the drive-screw rotator 232 (shown, for example, inFIG. 3 ) upon connection of the reusable and disposable parts (shown, for example, inFIG. 3 ). In some embodiments, the rotating sleeve 160 (or at least a portion of its shaft 161) may be positioned within a sleeve housing/casing 40. Thesleeve housing 40 may be configured as a tube, as shown inFIG. 8a . In some embodiments, thesleeve housing 40 may be configured as two (or more) supports (not shown) located at the two shaft ends, for example. These two or more supports may have a substantially annular configuration or any other configuration suitable for supporting theshaft 161.FIG. 8b shows therotating sleeve 160 within thesleeve housing 40. A space 14' may be present between therotating sleeve 160 and thesleeve housing 40 as a result of predetermined tolerances to enable free rotation of thesleeve 160 within the housing 40 (according to some embodiments), and/or as a result of undesired manufacturing tolerances of thesleeve 160 and/or of thecasing 40. This space 14' may allow undesired wobbling motion of thesleeve 160 within thecasing 40 resulting in eccentricity of therotating sleeve 160 and variable friction forces between thesleeve 160 and thecasing 40. -
FIG. 9 shows an example bar graph of consecutive bolus deliveries of a dispensing unit having a rotating sleeve, when transmission error exists. The X axis represents the number of bolus deliveries, and the Y axis represents the bolus size (in insulin units). In this example, each initiated bolus delivery should have resulted in the delivery of 0.1U of insulin. However, the presence of transmission error/s leads to variability in the delivered insulin amounts, characterized by a low frequency sine wave as well as high frequency sine wave/s. In this example, the frequency of the low frequency sine wave corresponds to one full rotating sleeve rotation cycle. Thus, this sine wave may be the consequence of a transmission error related to the rotating sleeve and/or its interfaces with other components (e.g.,gear 134 and/or the drive-screw rotator 232 inFIG. 2 ). In some embodiments, rotation of the rotating sleeve rotates the drive-screw rotator and thus the drive-screw, and the rotation of the drive-screw is consequently converted to linear motion of the drive-screw and the plunger within the reservoir, e.g., due to engagement of the drive-screw with a non-rotating nut. Thus, transmission errors related to the rotating sleeve, e.g., imperfect interface between the rotating sleeve and its casing (e.g., a tube-like casing, as shown inFIG. 8a ) and/or imperfect interface between the drive-screw rotator and the rotating sleeve, may cause variations in the rotation of the drive-screw leading to variations in the linear movement of the piston, and consequently to cyclic variations in delivered bolus amounts corresponding to the rotating sleeve's cycle. -
FIGS. 10a-10b show a perspective view (FIG. 10a ) and a transverse cross sectional view (FIG. 10b ) of an embodiment of arotating sleeve casing 140, which is configured (for example) as a V-block. Therotating sleeve 160 is aligned with the V-block casing 140 by an applied external force (F). The V-block/section includes at least a pair of walls having corresponding surfaces provided at an angle to one another thereby establishing a "trough" for holding the rotating sleeve. The angle is less than 180 degrees, and in some embodiments the angle may be less then 120 degrees. In some embodiments, the angle may be between 30 and 120 degrees, e.g., 90 degrees. In addition, according to some embodiments, the V-block, and corresponding surfaces, may be divided into a plurality of V-blocks/surfaces (e.g., two, three), which may be distributed such that the combined blocks/surfaces support a substantial portion of the length of the rotating sleeve. When therotating sleeve 160 is forced against the walls of the V-shapedcasing 140, there is little, and in some embodiments, no wobbling motion of therotating sleeve 160 within thecasing 140, thus the friction forces between therotating sleeve 160 and thecasing 140 are maintained substantially constant and stable. Further, the longitudinal axis of therotating sleeve 160 is maintained aligned (angle and distance) with the longitudinal axis (e.g., rotation axis) of engaging gears (e.g.,gear 134 shown inFIG. 11 ), with undesired manufacturing tolerances of the rotating sleeve 160 (e.g., slightly smaller/larger diameter) having minimal, and in some embodiments negligible, effect.FIG. 10b shows therotating sleeve 160, thegear 162 at its proximal end, and theinner teeth 164. An external force (arrow) is applied in this example by a biasing member, forexample spring 190, that forces/biases (e.g., presses) thesleeve 160 againstwalls FIG. 10c shows the counter radial forces (R) acting on therotating sleeve 160 by the walls of the V-shapedcasing 140 and the external force (F) that is applied by thespring 190, for example, to maintain constant alignment of therotating sleeve 160 with the X axis (corresponding to the longitudinal axis of the patch unit, for example). -
FIG. 11 shows a partial exploded view of an examplereusable part 100. Shown are reusable part components, including theshell 110,chassis 188, rotatingsleeve 160 and supportingspring 190. Two operating buttons/switches (e.g., bolus buttons) 15 may be positioned one on each side of theshell 110 and aprotective shield 111 may be connected to the shell's upper side, according to some embodiments. Theinsert 188 may support one or more of: electronics, motor (not shown),gearbox 131, and therotating sleeve 160 with therotating sleeve gear 162. Therotating sleeve 160 is supported by acasing 340, which may be either coupled to thechassis 188 or integral with thechassis 188. Thecasing 340 includes at least one V-block section, and therotating sleeve 160 is forced against the V-block walls/surfaces (not shown inFIG. 11 ) byspring 190. Thespring 190 may be positioned within one or more slots, e.g.,slot 192, in thechassis 188 and/or in thecasing 340. In some embodiments, therotating sleeve 160 may include at least oneopening 166, to allow monitoring of the position of the drive-screw and/or the drive-screw rotator (both not shown inFIG. 11 ) within therotating sleeve 160, in order to provide an "end of reservoir alert", as disclosed, for example, in International Patent Application Publication No.WO/2009/125398 . In case thesleeve casing 340 surrounds the entire length of the sleeve 160 (e.g., a tube-shaped casing), or at least the portion of thesleeve 160 having the at least oneopening 166, thecasing 340 may include at least one opening (not shown inFIG. 11 ) corresponding to the at least oneopening 166 of thesleeve 160. In some embodiments, thespring 190 may be a separate piece made of bent metal or plastic. In some embodiments, thespring 190 may be a flexible extension of theinsert 188 and/or the casing 340 (e.g., molded as one part with theinsert 188 and/or the casing 340). -
FIGS. 12a-12b show perspective views of the reusable part chassis (insert) 188 before (FIG. 12a ) and after (FIG. 12b ) assembly of therotating sleeve 160 and the supportingspring 190 within thechassis 188, according to some embodiments. Thechassis 188 may include adistal end 186 configured to be connected to the DP shell (not shown) and aproximal end 189 configured to support one or more or all of the electronics, buzzer, motor, gear, sensor, and capacitor, and to be received by the RP shell (not shown inFIGS. 12a-12b ). One or more gaskets, e.g.,gaskets 187 and 187', may be connected/coupled to thechassis 188 to maintain sealing with both the RP shell and the DP shell, respectively. Thesegaskets 187 and 187' may be glued to thechassis 188 or over-molded after, chassis molding. A portion of thechassis 188 may serve as the rotating sleeve casing 340 (i.e., thechassis 188 and thecasing 340 may be manufactured as a single part). Thecasing 340 includes a pair of substantially flat walls/surfaces surfaces 3401 and 3402 (which is equal to the angle between the perpendiculars to the walls/surfaces) is less than 180 degrees, and in some embodiments the angle may be less then 120 degrees. In some embodiments, the angle may be between 30 and 120 degrees, e.g., 90 degrees. In some embodiments, the walls/surfaces rotating sleeve 160 and thecasing 340. As noted above, in some embodiments, thecasing 340 may include two or more V-blocks/sections (e.g., front and rear of the casing 340). Thecasing 340 and/or thechassis 188 may include slots, e.g., alower slot 192 and anupper slot 193 to receive and fixate the supportingspring 190. At least one slot, e.g.,slot 193, may be configured to allow access of thespring 190 to therotating sleeve 160, so that thespring 190 may apply force on therotating sleeve 160 against the V-block/s (spring loaded mechanism). In some embodiments, the force applied on therotating sleeve gear 162 by an engaging gear (e.g.,gear 134 shown inFIG. 11 ) may also be utilized for pressing therotating sleeve 160 against the V-block/s. -
FIGS. 13a-13b show a transverse cross sectional view of the reusable part 100 (FIG. 13a ) and a magnified view of the rotating sleeve 160 (FIG. 13b ) including the supportingspring 190. The dispensing patch unit may be connected to acradle 20 that is secured to the body (e.g., using an adhesive tape 22). Thereusable part 100 may include ashell 110 and achassis 188. Thechassis 188 may support thegearbox 131 and other transmission/reduction gears (not shown). A portion of thechassis 188 may serve as therotating sleeve casing 340 and may also be configured to receive and fixate thespring 190. According to some embodiments, therotating sleeve 160 rotates within thecasing 340 and is forced toward one or more V-blocks of thecasing 340, e.g., the V-block composed ofwalls spring 190, which penetrates thecasing 340 through a dedicated slot (e.g., the slot designated by numeral 193 inFIG. 12a ). The portion of thespring 190 which penetrates thecasing 340 is shown in phantom lines inFIGS. 13a-13b . Further shown inFIGS. 13a and 13b is the positioning of the drive-screw rotator 232 within therotating sleeve 160 when theDP 200 is connected to theRP 100. -
FIG. 14a shows a perspective view of the RP chassis (insert) 188 before assembly of the motor and the gearbox, according to some embodiments, and with therotating sleeve 160 in place. Thechassis 188 may includemultiple alignment surfaces FIG. 14a ) and the longitudinal axis (or rotation axis) of therotating sleeve 160, or at least between the longitudinal axis (or rotation axis) of gear 134 (not shown inFIG. 14a ) and the longitudinal axis (or rotation axis) of therotating sleeve 160. In some embodiments, thegearbox 131 may be pressed against one or more of the alignment surfaces 171-177 using latches/snaps and/or an adhesive. In some embodiments, the shell/casing of thegearbox 131 may include at least one relatively elastic portion (e.g., a crush rib) which, when pressed against thechassis 188, presses thegearbox 131 against one or more of the alignment surfaces 171-177.FIG. 14b shows theRP chassis 188 after assembly of the motor (not shown inFIG. 14b ) and thegearbox 131, in addition to therotating sleeve gear 160. -
FIG. 15 shows an example driving mechanism of a patch unit, according to some embodiments, including themotor 130, thegearbox 131, and therotating sleeve 160 with itsgear 162. In some embodiments, thegearbox 131 may comprise aplanetary unit 132 and one or more additional gears 134 (e.g., reduction gear/s, idler gear/s) between therotating sleeve gear 162 and theplanetary unit 132. The longitudinal axis (rotation axis) of therotating sleeve 160 and itsgear 162 is parallel aligned (or at least substantially so) with the longitudinal axis (rotation axis) of themotor 130 and theplanetary unit 132 and with the longitudinal axis (rotation axis) of thegear 134. -
FIG. 16 shows a transverse cross sectional view of therotating sleeve 160 and a drive-screw rotator 232 positioned therein. The drive-screw rotator 232 may include a varying number of teeth (ridges), e.g., fourteeth 24. Theteeth 24 of the drive-screw rotator 232 engage with theteeth 164 of therotating sleeve 160 such that rotation of thesleeve 160 rotates the drive-screw rotator 232, and thus the drive-screw (not shown inFIG. 16 ), since the drive-screw rotator 232 is either integral with the drive-screw or rigidly attached to the drive-screw. It will be noted that the drive-screw rotator 232 does not rotate relative to thesleeve 160. Unlike the interaction between two engaging gears, where rotation of one gear causes the other gear to rotate in the opposite direction as a result of meshing of the gear teeth, engagement of the drive-screw rotator teeth 24 with thesleeve teeth 164 causes the drive-screw rotator 232, and thus the drive-screw 230, to rotate together with thesleeve 160, in the same direction. Thesleeve teeth 164 "push/pull" therotator teeth 24 along with them as they rotate, allowing only linear relative movement between the drive-screw rotator 232 and thesleeve 160. As shown inFIG. 16 , the drive-screw rotator 232 may include surfaces 25 ("centralizing surfaces") betweenadjacent rotator teeth 24 for ensuring proper alignment between therotator 232 and thesleeve 160 by maintaining contact with the upper portions of thesleeve teeth 164. Depending on the embodiment, each centralizingsurface 25 may maintain contact with the upper portion of one ormore teeth 164 of therotating sleeve 160. -
FIGS. 17a-17f show perspective views of the drive-screw 230 and various configurations of the drive-screw rotator 232, according to some embodiments.FIG. 17a shows the drive-screw 230 and the drive-screw rotator 232, which may be integral with the drive-screw 230 or attached (e.g., glued) to the drive-screw 230.FIG. 17b shows arotator 2321 having a plurality of "full" teeth ("ridges") 35, which may extend from the tip of the drive-screw rotator 232 to its base, and one or more "partial"teeth 36, e.g., one "partial"tooth 36 between every two adjacent "full"teeth 35, which may stem from the tip of the drive-screw rotator 232, similar to the "full"teeth 35, but terminate before reaching the base of therotator 232, according to some embodiments. The "full"teeth 35 may be used for both guiding the drive-screw rotator 2321 into the rotating sleeve (not shown inFIG. 17b ) and engaging with the teeth of the rotating sleeve to enable rotation of the drive-screw upon rotation of the rotating sleeve. In some embodiments, the "partial"teeth 36 are used for guiding the drive-screw rotator 2321 into the rotating sleeve (i.e., to further facilitate the proper insertion of the drive-screw rotator 2321 into the rotating sleeve 160). In some embodiments, the "partial"teeth 36 do not engage with the teeth of the rotating sleeve so as to enable rotation of the drive-screw upon rotation of the rotating sleeve, because their small size and/or length prevents them from maintaining contact with the sleeve teeth.FIG. 17c shows arotator 2322 having three teeth, where onetooth 28 is flexible to provide a spring mechanism such that when therotator 2322 is inserted into thesleeve 160 the spring-like tooth 28 secures therotator 2322 in place and prevents any undesired wobbling of therotator 2322 within thesleeve 160, according to some embodiments.FIG. 17d shows arotator 2323 having a plurality of teeth (e.g., eight) substantially evenly distributed along the circumference of therotator 2323, according to some embodiments.FIG. 17e shows arotator 2324 having three teeth, according to some embodiments.FIG. 17f shows arotator 2325 having four teeth, according to some embodiments. - Although particular embodiments have been disclosed herein in detail, this has been done by way of example for purposes of illustration only, and is not intended to be limiting with respect to the scope of the embodiments of the present disclosure. In particular, it is contemplated that various substitutions, alterations, and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of any embodiment disclosed herein.
Claims (13)
- A fluid infusion device (10) for delivering a drug into the body of a user, comprising:at least one housing (110,210);a reservoir (220) for containing the drug;a plunger (235) for displacing the drug from the reservoir (220) to the user;a drive-screw (230) including a first end and a second end, the first end being configured to operatively connect to the plunger (235);a driving mechanism comprising at least a motor (130) and one or more gears (134, 162), wherein the one or more gears include a rotating sleeve (160) configured to engage with the second end of the drive-screw (230);a controlled for at least controlling operation of the driving mechanism; anda support casing (340) substantially contained within the housing, the casing (340) configured to substantially support the rotating sleeve (160) and enable substantially free rotation of the rotating sleeve (160) thereincharacterised in that an interior of the casing (340) comprises at least one pair of substantially flat surfaces (3401, 3402) positioned adjacent one another, wherein the surfaces are positioned relative to one another at an angle less than 180 degrees, and a biasing member (190) for biasing the rotating sleeve relative to the at least one pair of substantially flat surfaces.
- The device (10) according to claim 1, wherein the support casing (340) is further configured to maintain a rotation axis of the rotating sleeve (160) substantially parallel to a rotation axis of at least one other gear (134) of the one of more gears.
- The device (10) according to claim 1, wherein the support casing (340) is further configured to maintain proper alignment between the rotating sleeve (160) and at least one other gear (134) of the one of more gears, wherein proper alignment comprises one or more of substantially parallel positioning and substantially accurate spacing between the rotating sleeve (160) and the at least one other gear of the one of more gears.
- The device (10) according to claim 1, further comprising a chassis (188) for supporting at least a portion of the driving mechanism and the support casing (340).
- The device (10) according to claim 4, wherein the support casing (340) is integral with the chassis (188).
- The device (10) according to claim 1, wherein the at least one pair of substantially flat surfaces forms a V-block.
- The device (10) according to claim 1, wherein the casing (340) comprises an interior with a shape substantially corresponding to an exterior shape of the rotating sleeve (160).
- The device (10) according to claim 4, wherein the chassis (188) includes a plurality of alignment surfaces (171, 172, 173, 174, 175, 176, 177) configured to maintain at least one of substantially parallel alignment and substantially accurate spacing between at least two of a rotation axis of the motor (130), a rotation axis of the one or more gears (134, 162) and a rotation axis of the rotating sleeve (160).
- The device (10) according to any of claims 1-8, wherein the rotating sleeve (160) includes a plurality of internal grooves (165) and/or teeth (164) extending along at least a portion of the length of the rotating sleeve (160), and wherein the second end (232) of the drive-screw includes a plurality of teeth (24) configured to engage with the internal grooves and/or teeth of the rotating sleeve (160).
- The device (10) according to claim 9, wherein the second end (232) of the drive-screw further includes a plurality of centralizing surfaces (25) between adjacent teeth (24), the plurality of centralizing surfaces being configured to substantially align the second end with the internal grooves and/or teeth of the rotating sleeve.
- The device (10) according to claim 1, wherein the rotating sleeve (160) comprises a substantially cylindrical configuration.
- The device (10) according to any of claims 1-10, wherein the at least one housing comprises a first housing (110) comprising a reusable part (100) of the device and a second housing (210) comprising a disposable part (200) of the device, and wherein the reusable part (100) and the disposable part (200) are connectable to each other, and wherein the reusable part (100) comprises at least the controller, the support casing (340)and at least a portion of the driving mechanism including the rotating sleeve (160).
- The device (10) according to claim 12, wherein the disposable part (200) comprises at least the reservoir (220) and the plunger (235), and wherein the disposable part (200) further comprises the drive-screw (230), and wherein upon connection between the reusable part (100) and the disposable part (200) the second end (232) of the drive-screw (230) is received within the rotating sleeve (160).
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US22615809P | 2009-07-16 | 2009-07-16 | |
PCT/IL2010/000566 WO2011007356A1 (en) | 2009-07-16 | 2010-07-15 | Systems, methods and devices for accurate infusion of fluids |
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US8905972B2 (en) * | 2010-11-20 | 2014-12-09 | Perqflo, Llc | Infusion pumps |
WO2014060965A2 (en) | 2012-10-16 | 2014-04-24 | Swissinnov Product sàrl | Fluid delivery system and methods |
KR20140110496A (en) * | 2013-03-08 | 2014-09-17 | 삼성전자주식회사 | Drug infusion pump |
JP2017502809A (en) * | 2014-01-13 | 2017-01-26 | ノボ・ノルデイスク・エー/エス | Transmission mechanism for a motor-driven drug delivery device |
US10159786B2 (en) | 2014-09-30 | 2018-12-25 | Perqflo, Llc | Hybrid ambulatory infusion pumps |
AU2016211330A1 (en) | 2015-01-28 | 2017-08-03 | Chrono Therapeutics Inc. | Drug delivery methods and systems |
WO2016133789A2 (en) | 2015-02-18 | 2016-08-25 | Perqflo, Llc | Ambulatory infusion pump and reservoir assemblies for use with same |
WO2017060899A2 (en) | 2015-10-05 | 2017-04-13 | E3D Agricultural Cooperative Association Ltd. | Infusion pump device and method for use thereof |
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2010
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- 2010-07-15 WO PCT/IL2010/000566 patent/WO2011007356A1/en active Application Filing
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- 2010-07-15 EP EP10799522.7A patent/EP2453972B1/en active Active
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EP2453972A1 (en) | 2012-05-23 |
EP2453972A4 (en) | 2012-12-26 |
US20120191043A1 (en) | 2012-07-26 |
WO2011007356A1 (en) | 2011-01-20 |
US8900189B2 (en) | 2014-12-02 |
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